Various techniques have been used in the past to apply color media onto a surface medium. One example is the use of a paintbrush to apply paint to a canvas, as an artist might do. Block printing is another example of a technique using carved or molded wood or metal blocks for applying color media to form characters on a surface medium.
In some cases an individual may wish to create an artistic work even though the individual may not have substantial artistic talent with a paintbrush. Paint-by-numbers types of painting kits have been developed. For young children paintbooks that use water-soluble color media printed on the pages are available; the child simply uses a paintbrush to apply water to the color media to "paint" the given area.
One problem with the paint-by-numbers approach is that the work often requires attention to intricate details and may try the patience of the user. Moreover, often the resulting work looks like a canned product and not free expression of the user/artist.